#tim: *actively dead on the ground*

[sentient-stove]

He could already see how that conversation would go over. Danny would go ‘hey, sorry me and my parents killed one of your adopted wards, twas an accident really, some twat of an investor turned on the ecto-collider while he was standing in it and Timothy got fried with enough radiation to mutate a steak back into the cow. Oopsies.’

And then Bruce mcFucking Wayne would throw him in Blackgate for murder before Danny got the chance to explain that hey, no, the guy isn’t dead, the Fentons just accidentally turned another teenager into a half dead abomination yippee. Pack it up cause the government absolutely loved the concept of debating if it was vivisection or dissection when cutting open a halfa. Mr. Wayne was pretty wealthy though so maybe Tim wasn’t gonna have to worry about the finer definitions on vivi vs dissect? Rich people paid off the government all the time, there was a reason why people like Vlad and Lex Luthor got away with so much bullshit.

He prodded the body with a foot. Tim did not so much as twitch.

There was the slow pulse of a core though, slower than the mock heartbeat that Danny’s core liked to hover at, and Tim did appear to be breathing- as much as a half dead person could- so Danny wasn’t too concerned about the unconsciousness quite yet. Once Mom was back with the Ecto-Dejecto then they could stick Tim and he’d be about as right as acid rain. Minus the whole,, traumatizing death and all that.

[rocksanddeadflowers]

Does anyone else picture Jonny's headless body running around trying to find his head during Teatime With The Kaiser or is that just me because personally I think it's hilarious

[thebibliosphere]

I was just playing gotham knights again and noticed some passive dialog regarding Babs having a back brace, which is at least acknowledging that there was damage done, but I'm a little sad for the loss of some really cool disability representation. What are your feelings on her (and on a similar note Batman's) miraculous recovery from paralysis in DC?

I think Gotham Knights handled her disability fairly well, considering this is a universe where magic, nanobots, and puddles of evil green goo that can heal the dead exist. All things considered, it would have been very easy for them to either erase it entirely or just handwave and say, "She worked really hard and got better," as previous iterations of the canon have done.

Because she did work hard and get better, but the hard work is ongoing because they depict her issues as chronic.

She's got a limp (it's the most obvious in her Talon suit with no cape in the way), which means she can't rely on speed or high kicks like the others can (I mean, she can kick, but it's her slowest motion, and until you max out her suit, it's the most liable to get her thrown to the ground), so she falls back on precision and her tech.

Jason punches for maximum pain, Dick moves with dizzying speed, and Tim's gonna sneak up on you and drop you like a rock, but Babs is going for the pressure points with ruthless precision. Not to mention her drones.

The conversation with Tim, realizing she might need help boosting her suit to compensate for her pain/strength issues, is a nice little way of making the player aware that she's got these ongoing problems because, honestly, a casual observer could mistake her back brace for athleisure wear if they didn't recognize the shape of it. It's also a good way of throwing in some exposition about how she's still going to physical rehab and that her PT would like her to "wean off" her back brace, but because her PT doesn't know her actual job as a vigilante, Barbara admits she can't and is essentially finding ways to manage her own care and create her own accommodations. Accommodations which they are all shown to be willing to help with.

It's a nice little touch when superhero narratives tend to revolve around self-sacrifice to the point of self-destruction. Alfred giving Dick into trouble for pushing himself too far and hiding injuries is a nice touch, too, even if it's like trying to bail water on the Titanic with a teacup.

I also like that not only do you see her wheelchair lurking around the Belfry—along with the disability adaptations they put in place, like the ramps, the wheelchair elevator, and the desks that move up and down to wheelchair height—but that she also still uses her chair from time to time.

[ID a screenshot from Gotham Knights showing the Belfry. Light streams in through a giant clockface, showcasing a bank of computer screens. In front of the screen, Barbara Gordon is using her wheelchair as Dick Grayson stands behind her, probably making a bad pun.]

Whether she's using it because she's tired or simply because it's more comfortable than the computer chair is never revealed. Nor is it brought up or commented on. It's just something that's normal for Barbara to do, and I like that. I like that it's normal. It's not a part of herself she's trying to erase. She works with it, not against it.

Is it perfect? No. Do they outright erase her disability like so many of the comics are guilty of? Also, no. I'd argue that, in fact, they kept her disability. They just changed the nature of it.

Barbara now has a dynamic disability, one which fluctuates and requires different management based on her day-to-day (or night) activity. She's in active treatment for it and will be for the rest of her life. Are some of the physical feats she achieves realistic for someone with an injury of her nature? Not really, but again, this is a world where nobody stays dead, and there are zombie assassins coming out of the walls. I'll take the attention to detail and care they put into her story any day over the "Willpower Fixed My Spine" narrative we could have gotten.

As for Bruce getting healed by magic, again, it's Batman. Comic book logic is wibbly-wobbly at the best of times, and realistically speaking, they couldn't leave Batman paralyzed. His whole deal revolves around being stealthy and punching the shit out of people. He wouldn't be Batman anymore, and frankly, I don't trust the comic writers as far as I could throw them to handle that right.

By contrast, the Gotham Knights writers handled Barbara with much more care and nuance than I ever expected. And I'm thankful for that.

---

*I also like that both Dick and Barbara are often shown wearing joint braces. Dick's are especially reminiscent of the way gymnasts and people with hypermobility tape their joints to reduce pain and prevent injuries. It's a nice little touch. They're not invincible. Their bodies hurt. They're just like me but with money and much bigger problems like giant killer robots and zombie assassins.

[hello-eden]

Never Hidden

Stephanie was bored. 

Bored

Bored

Bored

bored 

bored 

It had been a slow week. 

There was an Arkham breakout three weeks ago and they finally rounded up the last of them. there's always a few stragglers but everyone seemed to be checked off the list.

She wasn't assigned to any new cases and she's grounded from Missions outside of Gotham for bedazzling the Batmobile last month. It's only like another week but it still feels so long. 

She just finished her homework so now honestly she's just looking for something to do. She's honestly just messing with the bat computer until Jason walks in.

"What are you doing here” Jason says pausing after taking his helmet off, looking confused. "I thought you'd be off with Cass” 

“Grounded from outside missions” Stephanie replies turning the computer chair around “When do you get back in town”

“ Not even an hour ago” Jason says as he moves to her "What are you doing there, a case?”

 “Nah” Stephanie says that she turns back to face the back computer “ I don't got any Active cases, I looked at a couple of in Active cases but ehh”

 “So what are you doing” Jason finally reaches her and stops to look 

 “Honestly just playing around with the controls and snooping” Stephanie pulls up a file on the bat computer “Did you know Damien downloaded his Cheese Viking game onto the bat computer”

“Really” Jason laughs out

“Really, see” Stephanie says that she shows Jason the file “OMG this has been on here for 10 months

 “Bruce didn't even let me download stuff he uninstalled Zelda when I tried.”

 Stephanie and Jason continue to chat and work through the files on the back computer or at least the ones they have clearance to access. Eventually they get bored and start Looking through the Security camera

The only person in the house was Tim. He wasn't really doing anything exciting but he was on the phone. They watched him for a minute just checking to see what he would do.

They were about to switch off when he started yelling at whoever was on the phone. Both Stephanie and Jason were startled. They zoomed in and turned on the audio.

“I don't have time for your shit Ras.” Tim basically screamed into his phone. 

Stephanie's a little surprised that Alfred didn't come walking in to check what's going on.

 “you're the one who messed up, so clean up your own messes.” Tim then listens to Ras on the other line speak. "if you learned you know boundaries and actually tried for once then maybe Dan wouldn't be trying to Stage a coup.”

“ Why is Ras talking to Tim about a coup?” Jason asked as he looked over to Stephanie with a raised eyebrow.

 Jason thought he'd been away for a while but not long enough for this to happen.  

“I have no idea.  Every time he talks to me about Ras it sounds like he'd Rejoice if he dropped dead. I didn't even know Tim had his number let alone that they talked.” Stephanie started trying to think of any missions or crises that could have happened for the two of them to talk. 

“ he does not get that from me, the entire want for power thing is entirely your fault.“ Tim pulled out a second phone from the bag beside him and looked to be texting someone else as he was listening to the person on the phone. 

”I'm texting Dan as we speak I'll figure out what's going on that would make your controlling ass happy.” Tim pauses to listen to the other end of the phone.

 “Good.” Tim rolls his eyes and then hangs up the phone. 

“That man does not do anything useful.” Tim seems to say to an empty room probably not expecting to be spied on by two bored vigilanties.

 What the hell was that both Stephanie and Jason thought to themselves.

[brucewaynehater101]

can we have chaos gremlin Tim Drake fic recs pls? 🥺

Hullo 👋

Here's some fics where Tim is a bit unhinged. I copied and pasted the summaries the author did:

Tim’s quest to bring Bruce back from his Time-Travel-Super-Vacation goes horribly topsy-turvey when Ra's takes a more pro-active approach to keeping Tim prisoner, and he ends up in an alternate universe where he never existed, and everybody is disorientingly well-adjusted and weirdly obsessed with his “wellness”, whatever that means.

Tim is a clone, Young Justice has a new BFF, and Batman's adoption tendency has been sledgehammered with Post-Ethiopia grief, which means the JLA is now in charge of a miniature Batman despite almost none of them being parents. This can't end badly, can it?

When Tim is 11 he figures it’s not hurting anyone if he. Ya know. Takes a picture in the Batmobile. But then the power goes to his head and all of a sudden he’s hacking the Batmobile and tearing through Gotham on a rescue mission.

Tim Drake fucks around with the timestream and finds out. Now, he has to suddenly deal with a baby face, his family (and hiding from them), the loss of his precious middle child status and the burgeoning realisation that Damian is taller than him.

Beneath Gotham there is something. Anyone who spends time with their feet on the ground can tell you that much. At the surface level it's goons and scared street kids. Beneath them are the sewers, haunted by endless appetites and the scraping of hide against stone. Beneath that is glowing green, craving warmth of blood and rage, hunting for its host. And even further beneath that is something other. Above Gotham there is something. Anyone who spends time in the city can tell you that much. In the shadows of tall buildings or on outcrops of stone there was movement. Flashes of color or shadows taken form. Ever watchful eyes following the movement of the cities beating heart.

He hadn’t been prepared to take on Red Hood in Titans’ Tower. No, Tim had fought cleanly. Fair. But he wasn’t in the business of making the same mistakes twice. And the Red Hood? Well… Jason Todd should have stayed dead.

On a boring night, Tim and Steph discuss their most favorite and stupid yellow-press headlines. Years later, it gives Damian the chance to witness the true unhinged potential of one Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne

Talia doesn't tell Damian his father's name before sending him off to Gotham. This sets off a series of events that no one could have predicted. On an unrelated note, Tim has always wanted to be a big brother

The kid in civvies knocking on the door to his apartment shrieks Jason's name and launches himself at Jason, who catches him on reflex. He realizes it's the Replacement at the same time he notices the kid is so tiny he could barely pass for twelve, let alone fourteen. "Jason," his Replacement mumbles again into his chest, and Jason finally regains the presence of mind to move them backwards into the apartment. If he's murdering the kid now, better to do it with privacy.

Hal Jordan finds a tiny child in the Watchtower, and appropriately decides he should not be there. Robin has other ideas.

Last one: The series "Bird's Night Out" by Calamityjim. Basically, chaotic Robin rivalry with Red Hood

[clockwayswrites]

Like Betta Fish Do Part 27

Wc:3213 Masterpost CW: Hospitalization, discussions of temporary character deaths

The hospital was pure chaos. Reporters were at the door, police were at the reporters to stay back, and the Waynes were pacing.

None of them had wanted to be left behind, not with this, so as soon as those who had been playing hero changed, they all headed for the hospital. Bruce had met them in a waiting room that had been cleared out for their use. There were benefits to having a wing named after one’s father.

“Clear,” Babs said as she and Tim finished typing on the tablets that they had brought from WE. “CTV cameras will just loop past this room.”

“There are no bugs. I’ve activated scramblers for parabolic mics or anything, not that they should be able to get to us in here anyways,” Tim said.

“What happened?” Steph asked, looking to Bruce.

Bruce looked to Dick. The rest of the eyes followed.

Dick sighed.

“It’s not my secret to tell.”

“I believe we are past that, Richard,” Damian snapped.

“Why don’t you start with a debrief of tonight,” Bruce coached.

“I was almost in suit when Babs came over the comms, telling us they took Danny. I started to look for suspicious vehicles given the time frame. I wasn’t successful at spotting anything before the…” Dick was really glad that Jason was back with Danny and not here listening to this. “…before the trap went off. I saw one of the buildings go dark.

"Cass joined me. We took out the henchmen at the van and leading into the building. Based on intel, I headed straight for the basement. The place was flooded an inch or two deep. They broke the sprinkler valve, I believe. Danny was tied to a metal chair bolted in the middle of the room. A wire had been tapped into the circuit breaker and was at Danny’s feet. His shoes were off.”

Dick swallowed hard and let his arms drop to his side. That urge to punch something was still there. He flexed his hands and then purposefully relaxed them.

“I was sure he was dead, but when I called out his name he moved. I made sure the circuit breaker was off, disconnected the wire, and went to him. He was…” Dick snorted, shaking his head. “He was making jokes. He was conscious but not fully lucid. Confusion, slurred words, panic. He didn’t want to be taken to the hospital. He thought they would cut him open if ‘they knew’. I was able to convince him to come by saying we’d get Leslie and that we’d protect him.”

Damian scoffed. “Of course we will.”

“Case?” Cass signed, face scrunched up in question.

“And asked Alfred to bring a case, one that Jason put in the Cave that Danny gave him,” Dick confirmed.

“What’s in it?” Tim asked.

Dick just shook his head.

“He’s a Meta, isn’t he?” Duke asked. The question was quiet, but it felt loud in the tense air of the waiting room. He wasn’t staring at the ground rather than any of them. “Something new. Maybe something dangerous or, worse, something useful. It’s why he’s afraid they’ll cut him open.”

Steph cussed and turned to punch the wall only to be stopped by Tim.

“Is he?” Tim asked.

It seemed like there was no getting out of this question. “’Close enough’ was the way it was put when I stumbled in on… the secret.”

“Are his powers electricity based?” Babs asked. “Is that how he survived?”

Dick laughed. The bitter sound made a few of the others flinch or grimace.

“No, opposite, really. He’s weak to it. I think they only got him because they used tasers and it really knocks him out.” I’m so sorry, Danny, Dick thought. “Danny… Danny’s been electrocuted before when he was a kid. It killed him, however briefly. Really… I’m not sure if it didn’t actually kill him again tonight.”

This time Tim didn’t stop Stephanie from punching the wall.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Dr. Thompkins said as she peeled off her gloves.

Danny just glared at the IV in his hand that had been carefully tapped down and put under a mesh glove.

“It’s like she doesn’t trust me,” Danny whispered loudly to Jason.

“She’s right not to,” Jason said.

Danny pouted at him.

“Fish,” Jason said with a wet chuckle. He ran his hand through Danny’s hair again, which seemed to soothe him. “You said loudly and repeatedly that you were going to go out the window as soon as she stopped watching you or if she took your blood or if she put the IV in.”

“She did take it,” Danny whined.

“I did,” Leslie said, “and I also promised you no one else would get a hold of your blood and I meant it. I need a baseline for you though. It’s my job now to make sure that you’re well.”

“And no clones,” Danny said.

“And no clones,” Leslie said.

She shot Jason a look who just shrugged helplessly. He didn’t know enough about what went down with that to answer her questions.

Leslie gave up with a sigh. “You really went and found someone who fit right in with the family craziness I see.”

“Nah, Doc, he goes above and beyond.”

“Well… that should make for an interesting file.”

Danny flinched at that, hard enough for Leslie to notice and stop what she was doing.

“Danny, listen to me,” Leslie said. She waited until Danny met her eyes to continue. “No one else will see the file. It’s encrypted by Oracle, Batman’s tech person, and that’s understating them. I need to keep a file so that I can treat you and keep you healthy, that’s all.”

“No experiments,” Danny croaked.

Jason wanted to punch someone again.

“No experiments,” Leslie promised.

Danny gave a little nod, turned away from her, and all but climbed into Jason’s lap.

“Make sure he doesn’t pull that IV out,” Leslie ordered and went back to making her notes.

Not long after Jason had gotten him and Danny settled into the hospital bed, there was a knock at the door. Jason’s hand went immediately to the scalpel that Leslie had generously pretended not to notice Jason palming earlier. It didn’t matter that it was a knock Jason recognized, he wasn’t taking any chances with Danny right then.

Jason only relaxed when Dick had stepped fully through the door alone.

“Hey Danny, how are you doing?”

“Leslie took my blood.”

“Yeah, she does that,” Dick said. He was smiling, words cheerful, but Jason could see the cracks in his brother’s facade. “Alfred is going to be here in just a moment with the case. Can I send him in when he arrives? Or I can bring it myself? Or any of us. We’re all out there.”

Danny turned his head enough to be able to peer at Dick with one eye. “You’re worried.”

“Yeah, little fish, we’re all pretty worried. We care about you,” Dick said gently.

Jason resisted the urge to kiss Danny’s pout away as he shifted his gaze from Dick to Leslie.

“Can they come in?” Danny asked.

Leslie pursed her lips. “Only for a half hour. After that, it’s only Jason and one other allowed at a time and that’s only because I want Jason to try to get some rest too. Whoever else is in here is on a minimum two hour shift so not to wake you up every five minutes.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dick chirped.

“And tell them to keep it calm,” Leslie called after Dick as he slipped back out the door. She sighed and shook her head before focusing back on Danny. “Now, there will be nurses who come in.”

“Noooo,” Danny whined.

“Yes,” Leslie said. “They’ll just be taking your blood pressure, which they’ll know to expect to be low, and changing out your saline and pain medication. I’ll be back in the morning myself to check on your burns. Everyone who steps foot in this room will be approved by Bruce and I. Someone from the family will be with you the whole time, you’ll be safe in every way.”

Danny’s pout deepened before he sighed heavily and seemed to deflate. “Fine.”

“Thank you, Danny. Now please try to rest after the group leaves, both of you.”

“Sure, Doc,” Jason answered and sent her a smile. He’d have to do something to help her clinic out soon, she really went above and beyond for them tonight. He managed to get Danny turned around so that his boyfriend wasn’t buried face first into his pecs before his family invaded.

It seemed like everyone was really trying to listen to Leslie and they all filed in orderly and tucked themselves onto the couch and chairs and each other. Bruce and Alfred stayed standing.

“Hi guys,” Danny said with a wobbly smile.

Some of the family flinched at how ruined Danny’s voice sounded. The flinches weren’t obvious to be noticed by anyone by a Bat, except maybe for Duke’s, but they still happened and Jason noticed. They all looked wrecked, really, in various ways. One would almost think they had been the ones kidnapped and murdered tonight.

It was Jason’s turn to flinch at his own thoughts. Greedily, he soothed himself by pressing a kiss to Danny’s temple.

“Hi Danny,” Duke said back. “How are you?”

“You know, feeling a little extra crispy,” he joked.

The room seemed to lose all the air for a moment before Tim groaned. “God, there are two of them now. No wonder you’re dating Jason, you have the same morbid sense of humor.”

The tension in the room broke and Barbie even laughed. (They all ignored how the laugh was a little too tinged with hysteria to be truly happy.)

Alfred cleared his throat and stepped forward. “The case, Master Jason.”

“Ooh, is that…” Danny asked, zeroing in on the case.

“Yep,” Jason confirmed, popping the ‘p’.

Danny held out his arms, making grabby hands at the case. Alfred raised a brow, looking to Jason for permission, before he moved forward and handed over the case. Jason rested his hand on the lid before Danny could open it.

“So,” Jason started. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “no one freak out, okay? What’s in the case isn’t what it looks like. And… and we’ll explain?”

He wasn’t sure if they would.

He wasn’t sure if they could afford not to.

“We’ll explain,” Danny confirmed.

“Okay, Jay-lad,” Bruce agreed, though Jason could tell he didn’t know what he was agreeing to, other than trusting his son.

Jason took a breath and removed his hand. Danny flipped the lid open. It was innocuous at first, a simple black padded case. Then Danny plucked out one of the glowing, Lazarus green ectoshots and the stances of several Bats shifted.

“That is—” Damian started.

“Nope,” Jason interrupted.

“Jay—” Bruce rumbled.

“I’m sure,” Jason said. He glanced at Cass. “Really.”

“What are you going to do with it?” Tim asked, sounding a little strangled.

“Drink it,” Danny answered.

“Drink it?!”

Danny’s nose wrinkled. “Does everyone in this room have issues with that— what did you call it— Pit water?”

“Pit water or Lazarus water,” Jason said. He calmly ran his fingers through Danny’s hair as he made sure to not have a reaction to the ectoshots. Danny needed to drink them, he couldn’t have any of it spilled from misplaced panic. “And a lot of us, yeah. It’s… been a thing. My situation didn’t help any.”

Tim frowned at the vial, clearly itching to get his hands on it. “If that’s not Lazarus water, what is it?”

“Ectoplasm,” Danny sing songed and then just downed the vial to the wince of the room. A shudder ran through his body before he slumped bonelessly against Jason.

Jason plucked the empty vial from Danny’s limp fingers, pressed a kiss to his temple, and put it back in the case. “From best we can think without getting our hands on Lazarus water, they’re a bit related, but ectoplasm is a pure source where as whatever Lazarus water is, it’s fucked up. Beyond that, I think…”

Jason sighed and buried his face in the top of Danny’s head. He didn’t know how to explain the next part to his family. He didn’t know how to tell them he was still, at least a little, dead. He didn’t want to hurt them like that.

“Ectoplasm isn’t a miracle cure, not like it sounds they use Lazarus water for,” Danny said around a jaw cracking yawn. “Doesn’t work for normal people.”

“Does it work for you because you’re a meta?” Duke asked. The sympathy in his voice was hard to hear.

Danny’s laugh wasn’t any easier to hear. “Nope! I mean, like, sure how you count Superman as a meta I’m a meta, I guess. More a different species.”

Steph made an incredulous noise. “You’re an alien?”

“I wish,” Danny snickered. “I’m dead.”

“That is not funny, Nightingale,” Damian snapped.

Jason peered up at his bristling little brother. Demon brat really was already attached to Danny. “He’s not trying to be funny, Dami. Danny is half dead or, rather, half ghost.”

“Okay, which of your parents fucked a ghost?”

“Miss Stephanie,” Alfred chastised.

“Sorry Alfie,” Stephanie mumbled under Danny’s snickering.

At least having almost died (again) tonight saved Danny from being admonished too.

“Ancient, no, my parents hate ghosts,” Danny said.

“But you’re half ghost,” Babs pointed out, gently.

“Yeah. And there’s a reason that I changed my last name and don’t talk to them anymore, not that they know,” Danny said. He stretched out his arms, arching like a cat. Clearly the ectoshot was starting to have an effect. “No, I’m half dead ‘cause I died and then didn’t.”

“You’ve died before, Danny?” Bruce asked, voice carefully gentle in that way he used only when talking to his kids or those who were basically family through his kids.

“Yeah,” Danny sighed. “It was, um, don’t like talking about it. It’s a ghost thing. But my parents built a portal to the ghost’s realm to try and study them. It didn’t work, not at first. I stepped in it, tripped, hit the on button and bam… ten thousand volts of electricity later and I’m dead.”

Tim and Cass both reached out to stop Steph from moving.

“Thing is, the portal turned on,” Danny continued. “So I also got pure ectoplasm shot right through me. It brought me back, kinda. I’m a halfa; half ghost and half human. Half dead and half alive.”

“You’ve died by electricity before,” Bruce said into the silence of the room.

“Probably died again to it tonight,” Danny said with a casualness that had Jason tightening his arms around Danny. Danny just giggled. “But like I told Dick, I’m immune now.”

“You know,” Barbie said. She narrowed her eyes as Danny shrugged before she glanced to Dick. “And you knew.”

Dick sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Little wing?”

“Go ahead, Dick. I’m pretty sure you’ve connected all the dots now,” Jason said. Maybe it would be easier, no, smoother if Dick explained it. He was better at hiding his anger.

Though by the way Dick had to shift on his feet, maybe not. “I… I think I have. Then you’re…?”

Jason nodded.

“Fuck!” Dick twisted and paced to the door and back again.

“Master Richard!”

“Don’t be so harsh, Alfie,” Jason said. He couldn’t make Dick be the one to tell them; that had been a selfish hope. “Dick just put two and two together that if the ectoshots only help Danny because he’s dead—”

“Part dead,” Danny chimed in brightly.

“—then that means I’m still part dead too.”

“Jay-lad?” Bruce prompted after a tense moment, voice rough.

Jason just smiled sadly. “The Pits healed me. It sorta… filled in the cracks, but it couldn’t fix that whatever brought me back didn’t bring all of me back… or couldn’t bring all of me back. I think that’s part of why the Pits had such a hold on me. Not that it’s an excuse, but just… whatever. Point is, I’m a halfa too, even if I’m still healing enough to be a proper one.”

The family practically curled around each other in grief. Dick tucked Damian against his side. Tim slumped into Steph and Cass. Steph reached out to squeeze Bab’s hand. Bruce took an aborted step towards them. Even Alfred raised a hand to his mouth.

“I’m alright,” Jason assured them.

“You’re still dead!” Dick snapped.

“I’m half alive, that’s more than I was before,” Jason pointed out.

Dick hunched into himself at that, prompting Damian to give Dick an awkward looking hug.

“What all does that mean, being a halfa?” Bruce asked. He held up a hand as he paused and took a measured breath. “I don’t mean that as an interrogation. Right now, what’s important for us to know to make sure you’re both healthy? Or is there anything that we should avoid doing?”

Jason snorted. He appreciated the clarification, the attempt at being gentle, he did, but, “I know you want to know more than that.”

Bruce smiled, though the expression was more mocking himself than anything. “Of course I do. You know me, chum, I don’t do good with only pieces of information, but right now I’m not the important one. I can deal with some… unease so that we can focus on you and Danny.”

“Danny should drink at least another ectoshot in a bit. They help us heal as halfas. Dick knows because there was an incident where I got stabbed. Danny sensed my distress and showed up to give me an ectoshot. I had called Dick already. Which means Danny also knows about everything.”

“Danny sensed your distress?” Tim asked.

“It’s a ghost thing,” Jason said with a shrug, unsure how to really explain it. “It comes from ghosts having cores which are sort of their central organ.”

“You core?” Cass asked, clearly struggling to verbalize right then with how her nose wrinkled.

“I do. Or, I’m getting more of one. Because the Pits put me back together badly I was really messed up.”

“It’s coming in well,” Danny said sleepily. He yawned wildly (a little too widely) and turned to bury his face into Jason’s chest. “Pretty lava core too. It’s good to have close for healing. It’s warm and lovely.”

Jason snorted and kissed the top of Danny’s head. “Go to sleep if you can. You’ll need lots of rest.”

Danny huffed a mumbled protest, but Jason could tell that Danny was fading fast.

“We’ll talk more later, Jay-lad,” Bruce said as he finally let himself come close to help Danny and Jason better settle into the hospital bed to sleep.

“Yeah,” Jason said as he fought his own yawn as the head of the bed lowered. “Have to have Danny show you his ghost form, it’s really something.”

Tim echoed ‘ghost form’ quietly in the background as Alfred murmured something to the group.

“Do you want myself or Dick here for the first shift?” Bruce asked.

“Stay?” Jason asked. His eyes dropped closed as his dad ran a hand through his hair.

“Always.”

---

AN: a very tired taaaaaada. They got the bulk of the explanation! Though still things to learn and talk about. I was going to put in more bits, but this felt full the way it was! Next chapter more answers, more questions, and someone shows up.

I no longer tag people but you can subscribe on the masterpost.

[daniclaytcn]

i feel like i keep saying this but the most enraging thing about the chris storyline is that it isn't even the slightest bit grounded in reality. god. fucking. dead wife doppelganger being the reason it exists. chris going off to texas without having a single conversation with eddie and eddie letting it happen. helena and ramon behaving like cartoon villains who seem to be actively sabotaging any attempts at reconciliation at this point. the actual members of eddie's family who would step in and be on his side and mediate are nowhere to be found. even though it's been 3 months, there has apparently been no progress made, because the show seemingly wants to both have the benefit of picking up where they left off and having a time gap. all because tim minear has an inflated ego and considers himself a genius (he absolutely isn't). oh tim minear. tim minear when i get you.

[strangeshoepatrolbandit]

Brotherly Love. D.W J.T

Damian Al-Ghul/Wayne × platonic!twin!reader!

Gender Neutral

This is roughly based on the film "Son of Batman", it just includes the other batbros that were not in the film, and the reader does not know Jason.

Brotherly Love Masterlist <- right here

Warnings:mentions of death/assassins/scars/insecurity

Summary: You and your twin brother go to live with your father after your grandfather's death, but time at Wayne Manor brings soon jeopardizes your relationship.

There is probably some grammatical errors.

~☆~

Tragedy had struck your family, when Deathstroke rained an army upon your home, killing hundreds of your families men, including your uncle, and grandfather. Your mother had hurriedly taken you and your brother Damian away from your home, guiding you to America where you would meet your father for the first time.

A tight feeling had bubbled up in your chest, perhaps it was from you grieving your grandfather, or the sadness from leaving your home, maybe- just maybe it was nervousness from getting to finally meet your father. Your fists tightened as you thought about what was happening, Damian who was sitting next to you took notice immediately, and moved to rest one of his hands upon your own, the contact brought you out of your daze, and you turned to look at Damian who was starting dead ahead.

Damian, your beloved twin brother, whom you loved very deeply. He was your anchor for when the days got too tough, you were a trained assassin you were meant to be cold, but alas you were still a child, and he was too.

Sometimes when the two of you were younger you would sneak out of your respective rooms and get into the other's bed, Talia pretend not to notice, and would never dare to speak a word about it. You and Damian would always read books in his room when you both had time away from training, you'd huddle together as one of you voiced what was happening in the books you read, and eventually whichever one of you was being read to would fall asleep upon the other, the one that was reading doing the same not too long after.

On the nights that Ra's would allow dessert to be served after dinner Damian would give you whatever treat was given to him, he was never one for sweets. Every once and a while the pair of you would venture down to the village or around the Al-Ghul grounds, and talk about anything and everything.

You were brought back out of your thoughts as Talia announced that you had arrived in Gotham, she had told you and Damian to wait whilst she retrieved your father.

Talia had come back with a man, dressed in all black, he had a cape and a mask, he was muscular, not too tall and not too short. You and Damian stood side by side as your mother attempted to flirt with him before breaking the news of Ra's Al-Ghul's death, and how the assassins that killed him would more likely come back. Talia then brought back the curtain that you and Damian hid behind, and finally told him that you were his children.

~☆~

Bruce had tried to bond with the two of you at first, you and Bruce would go out to eat and go shopping, whilst Damian would spend time in the Batcave and accompany Bruce to work. When you had the time you and Damian would still huddle up in the giant library and read to each other at night.

~☆~

After some time Bruce eventually had to stop going on your outings together, too busy as Batman and as a businessman. Instead of Bruce, you started going out with Alfred to visit the shops, before you knew it Damian had become Robin and started going out with Bruce into the night and wouldn't arrive back at the Manor until early morning. A downside to being Robin meant that Damian kept sadly turning down your attempts to hang out, instead he spent even more time in the Batcave either training or doing research. You had already attempted to ask Tim to hangout but he was too busy with Wayne enterprises plus keeping up with his own nighly activities as Red Robin, you also knew there would be no reason to call Dick he was all the way in Blüdhaven also to invested in his own police duties and his Nightwing persona, Jason, whom you hadn't met yet was also off of the table, he and Bruce had to many disagreements between the two of them. So instead you settled for either being alone reading one of the thousand books in the library or helping Alfred with household things, and he was more than happy to spend time with you.

After many futile attempts at trying to get Damian to spend time with you he started to get agitated, telling you to just leave him alone for the night, one night he finally had enough and snapped. It was an hour before Batman and Robin would go out for patrol, dinner had finished not to long before, you stayed back to help Alfred clean up, Damian went with Bruce to go set up things for when they leave, it had been weeks since you had some one on one time with Damian so you went down to the batcave to ask him to read, or really to do anything.

You walked down the stairs that led to the batcave, Damian was taking care of his weapons and Bruce was looking at the computer, you creeped up next to Damian and watched as he polished the baterang's. Of course Damian had seen you, he was an assassin he always knew what was happening around him, he let a sigh come out from his nose, and shifted his weight to the foot that was farthest from you as an attempt to distance himself from you.

"What do you want (Y/N)?" He questioned, finally breaking the silence that had been in the batcave. "I just wanted to see if you would like to join me for an activity, we can do whatever you like." You confessed, hopeful that he would say yes.

Damian set down the baterang he was holding and threw his head back in annoyance.

"Damian has to get ready for patrol (Y/N)." Bruce butted in as he sensed Damians change in attitude, turning around in the chair that he sat in he watched as you glanced at him before looking back at Damian, then back to him.

"But that's in and hour, I just wanted to borrow hi-" You tried to reason before being interrupted by an angry looking Damian. "(Y/N) WILL YOU EVER LEAVE ME ALONE, IM BUSY!" He yelled out at you, your eyebrows knit together as you stared at him, never had he ever yelled at you, let alone been angry at you. Bruce had jumped up from his seat and began walking to you guys to make sure nothing else happens between you.

You had started to back away from Damian, still staring at him with shock on your face, Damians still portraying anger as he stared back. You kept backing up until your feet hit the stairs, as they touched the stairs you turned and fled back up to the Manor, running past Alfred who was bringing tea to Bruce and Damian, all the way until you reached your room. You climbed into bed, curling up under the blankets, your mind was going a million miles per hour, Damian had never been mad at you, were you really that annoying? You just wanted to spend time with him like you've done all your life, was that anxious feeling you had before your arrival to Gotham, some sort of prediction?

Apparently sometime during your heartbroken breakdown you must have passed out, cause you awoke to a knock on the door, you sighed as you got up to answer it, hoping that it would be Damian trying to apologize, as you reached the door and opened it you were met with alfred.

"I've brung you some cookies Mx.(Y/N)." He said as he held put a tray, you grabbed them out of his hands and muttered out a "thank you".

"I do not know what happened, but I am here if you need to talk." He told you, hoping that you weren't as emotionally constipated as the rest of this family, you observed the older man's face, looking for any sign to show that he was lying, but his face held sincerity.

"Damian-" you started, but ended up cutting yourself off. "-yelled at me, he's never done that before." You confessed in a whisper, a little embarrassed that this is what has gotten you so worked up. "Would you like me to talk to him?" The brit questioned, ready to stand up for you.

"No, it's okay Alfred." You rushed out, Damian should apologize on his own terms, once he realized what he did.

"Thanks for the cookies, Alfred." You sighed before whispering out a "goodnight" and closing the door.

~☆~

A week later and Damian has yet still not apologized, you had avoided him the entire week as well, and he didn't seem to care. Tim had come by to talk to Bruce and asked if you wanted to go hangout before he left, you told him no, the insecurity of being annoying clouding your mind. Bruce had even come up to your room, and explained that Damian was just "frustrated from working", Bruce even invited you to go out and eat with him like you did when you first arrived, you soon turned him down. Alfred too made attempts to spend time with you, inviting you to cook or garden with him, but all you wanted was to be with your brother.

~☆~

This went on for a whole month, you avoiding Damian, and him not even trying to apologize to you. You had eventually left your room to eat with the family again, and would sit in the library or garden reading a book. You had hoped that your mother would come back to you, and take you back home, praying that she had gotten her revenge for Ra's and killed Deathstroke already, you've waited, and waited, and waited, but she still hasn't come back yet, there was no trace of her. You weren't worried that anything had happened to her, she was the child of Ra's Al-Ghul, The Demons Head, he'd been alive for over 500 years, he trained your mother, of course she was fine, you just wished she would come and see you upset, and try to help.

~☆~

After a month and a half since you last talked to Damian, you walked down the dark stairs of the enormous Wayne Manor, heading towards the kitchen to make yourself a cup of tea, upon your arrival you grabbed a mug, then put a kettle on the stove. The kettle whistled to announce that the water was done boiling, you place a tea bag into your mug before pouring the water on top, you grabbed your personal likings of sugar and cream to put in it(im southern i literally only put sugar in mine.) , and grabbed a spoon to stir it all together. Once your tea was done you picked up your mug and made your way to the library, on your way there you passed the dining room and seen Alfred sitting with a man, he had black hair with a white streak in the front, a scar running across the side of his face, he was muscular, and wearing a black leather jacket, and black jeans, you caught sight of his eyes, something in them looked familiar, kind of like that mystical green hugh that the Lazarus pit gave your grandfather. Maybe you were going crazy, you've never seen this man in your life, you would know if he had access to the Lazarus pit, you shook your head to get rid of any curious thoughts you had, before glancing at the mysterious man one last time and heading to the library.

There will be a part two to this, maybe even a part three, I hope you enjoyed!

(Part two has been posted!)

[eclipsedrgn]

𝐀 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥

Batfamily x Reader || Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

Summary: Jason may be rough around the edges, but he goes through hell to gather everyone you love for a very special day.

Credits: Music belongs to Khloe Rose, I changed the lyrics a bit to match the theme. Photos aren't mine, unfortunately I forgot to check the owners of it.

༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

5 whole years.

1825 days since he laid his eyes on you, the most beautiful girl he's every known. His girlfriend, his soon to be fiance.

Jason thought to the first time he met you, a complete accident, you weren't even suppose to be there. But there you are buying recipes to a pesto pasta you love making when a group of Black Mask's gang decided to rob the grocery store you were in. Jason was tracking the gang for a while, for territory reason, and saw the hostages.

He decided to attack.

He killed 6 of the men.

Jason found you crouched down at the milk aisle covered in blood, in front of you was one of the gang members, he guesses the 7th member dead on the ground.

"I-It was an accident" You whispered shakily, "He was going to attack me"

"Don't worry about it sweetheart" Jason says, his voice activator on, "He's a bad man. He doesn't deserve to live"

The next time he saw you was when he finally returned home to the Manor after many months of anger and anguish against his adopted father. You were standing there emotionless, you were going through a moment, you were missing your parents as they just dropped you off at Bruce's whilst revealing he's your biological father.

Jason placed a hand on your head, ruffling your hair. "You'll get used to it. You're a Wayne now. You gotta act like it"

You started to see him differently, not a sister-brother kind, but a more romantic side.

It was the gala when you officially started dating. You were wondering the hallway when you bumped into Jason, Bruce was going to introduce him back to the family while you are going to be known as his biological daughter. Jason was having a panic attack, guilt slowly eating him with how he treated his family when you kissed him.

"I'm sorry" You said, "You wouldn't calm down"

"Don't ever say sorry" he whispers against your lips as he presses them back to yours.

And now 5 years later, a lot of kisses and makeouts, dancing in the halls of the manor. Jason knew you were the one and he was ready.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

Jason flew to your hometown where you grew up, he asks threaten Tim to give him the address where you used to live. He knocks on the door and your mom answered the door. Your mom loves Jason and she would remind you everyday you guys talk to each other. Jason takes out the small red box revealing the ring inside, a custom ring that you always talked about when you get engaged, it was beautiful.

His next stop was your friends, childhood friends, school friends which ever he found. Jason told them about his plan, which was to fly them to Gotham to surprise you. You have been telling him how much you missed them.

Jason flew back with his heart full, his next plan was to prepare. You didn't want a big engagement, a simple yet thoughtful one was the one you like. So he decided to do it in the backyard of the Manor, in the beautiful garden that Alfred works so hard.

He (finally) asks his brothers and sisters for help.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

The day of the engagement was perfect, the sun was shining, not too hot for you to sweat and not too cold for you to have a sweater on. Stephanie, Cass and Barbara took you out to do your nails, god forbid they let you get engage with plain nails. While Jason and the boys went to get the backyard ready.

"I can't believe today is the day" Dick comments while carrying boxes. "Are you excited?"

"Of course I am" Jason grumbles, "Are you sure this is the color she likes?"

The colors consist of beige and while.

"Trust me Jay" Tim grins, "She's been playing sims lately and she's been decorating with these colors"

"She always plays sims" Damian mutters as he passes by.

Once the decorations are up, the boys went to their rooms to get ready. With a shaky breath, Jason nervously straighten his shirt as he stared himself into the mirror in front of him.

"She will love it, Master Jason" he hears Alfred.

"Do you think so?" Jason quietly asks.

"Do you trust her?" Alfred asks, his hand on Jason's shoulder.

Jason nodded, "With my life"

"Then you know, deep in your heart that she will say yes" he says.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

You wore a pretty light pink off shoulder sun dress with matching pink flats. Barbara curled your hair while Steph did your makeup, you questioned why they're dolling you up but you shrug knowing it's typical for girls to do this once in a while.

Once your finish, Stephanie sent a text to Jason with a thumbs up who replied back that he's ready. You four made your way to the backyard.

"What's going on?" You asked giggling.

"Alfred demanded Bruce to do a family picnic in the backyard, so we are now on our way there" Barbara lies.

The curtains on the main floor are shut, covering what's really going on, but you didn't question it. You reach towards the doornob, not noticing Steph bringing out her phone to record as Barbara did the same.

You open the door as the music starts playing;

Well, I guess the third time's not a charm Nursing a three times broken heart And down the rabbit hole again

Your eyes widen as you see the boys including Bruce and Alfred standing on each side of Jason as he smiles when he spots you.

I put myself in another world Where I can be any other girl 'Cause I don't really wanna face it

Cass places her hand on your back as she gave you a soft smile, she whispers. "Go on"

Your heart flutters as you began your journey to your boyfriend, you notice the white-pink petals on the floor, your favorite colored flower that you told Jason on your first date.

'Cause, if it isn't real You can pretend all you want It's all you'll ever need "That's not healthy, " they said "To live in your head" But it hurts a lot less to me

You covered your face when realizing the song that was playing, the song you became obsessed with once it came out. You love this song. And everyday, it reminded you how much you love Jason.

The man of your dreams.

I fall in love with boys I see on a TV screen The ones in books who are as perfect as they can be I spend all of my time imagining What it would be like if they existed My parents tell me I should look for one in real life But I get let down by both the bad boys and the nice guys I'm tired of giving more than I receive So I'll just stick to the boys Who don't know me

To you, Jason was the fantasy boy you've always wanted, the one who loved you with all your heart. The one who made you smile, laugh and cared with all your being.

Oh, I hid his number, I almost called Like, maybe he's hurting after all I can't afford to be that naïve I'll just keep wishing it was me In that ending scene Where they're meeting up halfway And they're kissing in the rain It's a little bit cliché But I love it anyway

Memories of the two of you flashes before your eyes, the good and the bad, tears starts to pool in your eyes as you approached Jason. His hand out as you reached for him.

"Hi" You whispered.

'Cause it's better than when you're walking home And the rain starts pouring But you're all alone

"Hey baby" he whispers back as you both a bit further from the family.

I fall in love with boys I see on a TV screen The ones in books who are as perfect as they can be I spend all of my time imagining What it would be like if they existed My parents tell me I should look for one in real life But I get let down both the bad boys and the nice guys I'm tired of giving more than I receive So I'll just stick to the boys Who don't know me

You appraoched a lovely scene of fluffy pillows with your favorite drink and favorite snacks you love to eat while being in the lair.

You start to gasps as tears fell, Jason's hands cups your cheeks wiping the tears with his thumbs. "Hey baby, breathe"

"I'm sorry" You cried quietly.

"I love you" Jason begins, "5 years ago, our journey began when you kissed me in the halls of the Manor to calm me down and I knew, you are gonna be the person in my life who's able to do that"

I'd rather keep on dreaming of someone I'll never meet (Ohh-oh) than give love to another one who won't choose me

I'd rather keep on dreaming of someone I'll never meet (Ohh-oh) than give love to another one who won't choose me

"I can't..." Jason sniffs as his tears falls slowly, "I can't imagine my life without you. You are someone that I can't imagine living my life without and I have... I have to make you mine. Forever"

"Oh fuck" You cursed knowing what's coming next as you covered your face.

Jason chuckles at your reaction, "(Y/N) (L/N), you have been the love of my life, my girlfriend, my whole world..."

Getting down on one knee, Jason brings out the small red box opening it to see the ring that sits there.

"Will you marry me?"

I fall in love with boys I see on a TV screen The ones in books who are as perfect as they can be I spend all of my time imagining What it would be like If they existed My parents tell me I should look for one in real life (ohh-oh) And I've found my love that sits under the night skies (ohh-oh) I'm happy of giving more than I receive (oh-oh) So I'll just stick to the boy who do know me

You nodded frantically as you jumped into his arms shouting "YES!" the entire family cheers as Jason places the ring on your left finger and kisses you passionately.

And I've found my love that sits under the night skies (ohh-oh) I'm happy of giving more than I receive (oh-oh) So I'll just stick to the boy who do know me

You pull away as you felt three heavy weight on you, you grinned as you felt his brothers hugging you tightly as you squeal when seeing your family and friends running towards you.

"You did this?" You asked Jason with a wide smile.

"I bought your friends and parents here to see you get proposed" Jason smiles pecking your lips.

"You remembered" You whispers.

He nods, "Of course I did, how did you think I pulled this off?"

You gave him the brightest smile as you flash your ring towards your family and friends who greeted you.

Jason stood there with his family, congratulating him as he smiles watching you hugging the people you love. He pulled it off, the tiredness, the nervousness he felt finally went away when you said yes. Now, Jason knew, the next step is sealing the deal.

[everwistfully]

I’ve been feeling called recently to go back to my fandom roots and so therefore I MUST tell you all my thoughts on the bats and their Hogwarts houses.

Dick is Ravenclaw and I refuse to budge from this. He is a genius acrobatic little shit who created all the stereotypes and expectations for young super hero sidekicks and for the following Robins! When you think of Robin, of how he helped bring light to Batman, helped solve crimes from a very young age, lead multiple other young superhero groups, and went on to create a moniker and separate but equally as competent vigilante persona as Batman? Dick is the FIRST one to do all of that! He is also a little genius who has a genuine dark side and, given as these examples and qualities I’ve listed above, there is absolutely no way you could convince me he belongs in any other house. (He was also a mathlete but I refuse to lessen ravenclaw to simply the ‘smart’ house.)

Jason belongs in Griffindor. I see you all saying, ‘no, he belongs in ravenclaw because he likes to read!’ Absolutely not. I will not stand for this slander! Jason is outlandishly courageous and moral. Sure, he’s a bit messed up in how he goes about it but he most certainly has the strongest sense of morality among the batkids and he’s the one who’s actively doing it in the quickest and best way he can imagine. He hit the ground fcking running and hasn’t stopped since. Just because someone likes to read, enjoys, and understand the nuances of literature, you shouldn’t downplay many of their other outstanding characteristics.

Tim is easily the most Slytherin of the bunch. If that’s what you were thinking, you’d be right! This man at, too young of an age, figured out the identities of Batman and Robin and kept it to himself until, by his own definition, couldn’t in good mind keep that information to himself and do nothing about it. He forged his path into the batfam, founded a new young superhero league, couldn’t stand the idea of Batman being dead and found proof he was alive AND brought him back against all odds! He is ambitious and has his own set of rules and morals to live by and if that isn’t Slytherin, I frankly don’t know what is.

Damian is also Slytherin. Now him, I personally wouldn’t want to put into Slytherin, I honestly think he should be in Hufflepuff or even Griffendor but because, in the book, the hat takes the individuals opinion into account, he’d be in Slytherin. He’s cunning and dangerous and a lot like Tim. There’s a reason he pegged Tim from the get-go. His upbringing has a lot to do with the house he gets placed into as well as his thought process on the world from when he first joins the batfam. He takes like a fish to water in Slytherin regardless of how he got there, though.

I can’t say I’m as knowledgeable on other batfam members but to speed run a few of them anyways without as much backup data:

Bruce is Slytherin or Ravenclaw. (I’m torn because of his obvious special-interest-autismness and because of his inherently cunning personality (not to mention the parallels that could be made between him and Tim or Damian and the opposing parallel of him and dick.))

Alfred is def Slytherin.

Steph is Griffindor.

Case is Hufflepuff. (By her own choice otherwise Slytherin.)

Babs is def Slytherin.

Duke would be Hufflepuff or Griffindor.

To be so fr, if I could put all of the batfam members in Slytherin in hood conscious, I would and I would die on that hill. (This family is a bit toxic and unhealthy and has a very screwed sense of reality and morality.)

[sentient-stove]

“I’m sorry for half killing you.”

“It’s okay. I’m compartmentalizing.” Tim muttered. “You’re fine. I’m fine. I didn’t fall through a table at breakfast this morning and bust my chin on the ground. It’s fine.”

This ‘compartmentalization’ sounded a whole lot more like shock but hey, Danny was gonna take forgiveness where he could. Especially if it kept him away from Mr. Wayne and the sad, vaguely concerned parental face he made whenever he was in the same room as Danny and his parents.

“Want another ecto shot?”

“No.”

“You might feel better after. Works just as good as a RedBull.” He shook the (thankfully normal) thermos at the other and Tim sighed, giving in and taking it to unscrew the lid.

…

Prior section of wip here

[sungbeam]

BIRD HUNT — one

nonidol!choi line x f!reader

gotham city is a gutter running rampant with the ill, corrupt, and the insane. at times, justice and vengeance must be served by one's own hand... no matter the lengths one must go to do so.

▷ genre, au, etc. bat family au, dc comics inspired, dark, vigilantes au, slow burn, ceo/billionaire au, cat woman!reader, murder mystery au, action, suspense, angst, slow burn-ish?, love square??; choi line inspired by dick grayson (csb), jason todd (cyj), and tim drake (cbg), including bruce wayne for choi minho and damian wayne for nishimura riki, inspired by 2022's The Batman

▷ chapter warnings. swearing, mentions of insomnia, bank robbery, mentions of assault/violence, mentions of weaponry, depictions of death and blood, dead body

▷ word count. 3.8k // taglist. open

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FILE_01 : a thing for strays

gotham city.

[beomgyu & yn are 15, soobin is 16, yeonjun is 17.]

The incessant, distinct cry of meowing drew 15-year-old Choi Beomgyu from his warm covers and his state of sleep. (Technically speaking, it was only partial unconsciousness, but this wasn't about his insomnia.) He had long accepted the fact that good night's rests were rare in this world and with his condition, so there was less irritation and more plain curiosity in his mind. In other words, he cared very much about how a cat could meow so loud over the city’s infinite soundtrack more than sleeping.

He dragged his palms over his eyes, scrubbing away the stinging in his irises due to sleep deprivation. The dull buzz at the back of his head kept him awake constantly anyway. As he made his way toward the window, his eyelids fluttered like the shutter of a camera lens, actively adjusting to the warm glow of a light radiating from the apartment across the alleyway from him and streaming into the darkness of his.

Beomgyu peered out of the window, hand idly scratching his chest while the other leaned on the sill. It wasn't completely uncommon to see at least one person wandering the streets late at night in Gotham City. No sane person would be out, but whoever said Gotham residents were sane in the first place?

In the alleyway below, he could make out a shadowy form crouched by a dingy cardboard box at the foot of a dumpster. You knelt there before the box; Beomgyu quietly lifted his window open to hear what you were saying. You didn't look much older than he was, and you were bundled in a straight trench coat that left much to the imagination. A pair of slippers peeked out from beneath you, however, where you braced yourself against the grainy gravel ground.

"I'm not gonna — yah! I'm trying to help you, you st—" You huffed, hands raised in the air. "Sorry, that's mean of me to say."

A small laugh fell from his lips.

Your head perked up at the sound, and he mentally praised your alertness. That was a critical skill to wield here. Your head whipped around, eyes searching the alleyway, before meeting his eyes. You narrowed your own. "Have you just been there watching me this whole time?"

"Depends; how long have you been out here?" He drawled back, his upper body leaning out of the window and his elbows bracing against the window sill.

You rolled your eyes and turned back to the cat in the box. "Creep."

"Weirdo."

That got you whirling around for him again, and this time, he stared at the way the amber streetlight posted just at the mouth of the alleyway illuminated your features and the feisty gleam in your eyes. There was a feline likeness to your eyes and tendencies—your posture and crouch stance, narrow-eyed cynicism, alertness and awareness. "The fuck d'you just call me?"

He shrugged with a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. "You called me a creep first."

You scoffed at his teasing. This was much more fun than tossing and turning for sleep that would never come.

"Are you not afraid of catching something from the animals out here?" Beomgyu queried, now leaning his chin in the palm of his hand. He was Juliet leaning out of her window to lament her dramatic soliloquy, unaware of Romeo's presence below. His father would scoff at such a romanticized view of life, but it was all said with an undertone of cynicism anyway. "I mean, have you seen what crawls out of the gutters? Ngh," he shivered.

There was something he couldn't place in your features as you suddenly scooped the mewling cat into your arms and stood facing him. Beomgyu watched in awe as the cat began to purr and nuzzle into the warmth that your body provided. Your hand gently smoothed over its fur, even if the feline was matted with dirt and grime.

"I have a thing for strays," you said simply. On the surface, it was a quote of defiance, but beneath it all, he sensed there was something else to it.

Beomgyu's heart stuttered when you had said that and looked him right in the eyes.

As if on cue, a pair of black and white cats padded their way out of the shadows toward you. From where, he had no clue. But they circled your legs, rubbing against your sweatpants adoringly. He guessed these were yours, but he shouldn't assume simply based on their cleaner and maintained coats. (Sarcasm—that was sarcasm. He was definitely going to guess based on that.)

The apartment across the alleyway opened up at ground level and more of its warm light streamed out into the alley. A woman stood at the doorway with one hand on her cocked hip. "Yn, you know we can't…"

"Oh, but mama," you pleaded. You lifted the purring mass of fur in your arms as if it would plead your case for you. It was kind of cute, really. "Look at her."

The woman's eyes twinkled. "Ah, all right. Let me see if we have more—" Her words died upon her tongue when she caught Beomgyu's frame at his window.

He marked the spark of recognition in her eyes. He wasn't completely surprised.

"You're—You're one of the Choi kids, aren't you?" She asked. Perhaps it was less of a question than a statement, because Beomgyu had no doubt she didn't need confirmation. He and his brothers' and his father's faces had been plastered all over the society columns since birth. "Beomgyu, isn't it?"

"Yes ma'am," he said. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Her head tilted to the side, and he saw the curiosity in your features, as well. It seemed you hadn't recognized him though. "You're quite polite for…" She shook her head, dismissing her previous thought. "What're you doing on this side of the city?"

Ah, and that was yet another mystery, wasn't it? Besides the mystery of his entire family, it was the fact that the Choi kids, despite hardly being adult aged, did not live at Choi Manor all of the time. Eventually, Beomgyu figured they'd all amass there once more and dwell there more frequently, but for now, he liked his dingy, crumby, little apartment in this specific Gotham gutter. Folks usually didn't expect the child of a multimillionaire to pick this dump to have his own apartment in.

But that was the strategy, wasn't it? Not only to prove people's judgements wrong, but to also let himself live and breathe and learn from his own mistakes.

Oh, and learn to deal with his insomnia on his own. So far, the only solutions he'd found were copious doses of melatonin or just caffeine. But even those things were hit or miss.

"Got kicked out," he joked.

And then he regretted it immediately afterward when he realized how real that felt. It was sticky and metallic in his mouth, like blood, and it felt too real.

You and your mother were surprisingly sympathetic and neither of you made any brash comments concerning his status, his money, his family and being "kicked out." He expected something like "spoiled brat got an apartment to himself when he got kicked out of daddy's mansion," but nothing of the sort came forth.

I have a thing for strays, your words echoed in his mind.

The doorway to your apartment seemed to open just a little wider. "How about you come over for a little hot chocolate?"

Despite it being the beginning of summer, hot chocolate sounded nice. (Hot chocolate and company sounded nice.)

Beomgyu's eyes subtly flickered over to you, expecting some kind of catty objection, but even you stayed quiet, your eyes peering up at him. Waiting. I have a thing for strays.

"Okay," he swallowed. "I couldn't sleep anyway."

[3 years later.]

"You're a little young, don't you think?"

Nineteen-year old-Choi Soobin's head perked up at the question posed toward the current interviewee. Your name was Ln Yn, according to the manilla file folder of your records, application, and supplementary materials—all of which were quite good for someone of your age. When you presented yourself before the panel of interviewers for the opening of a job here at Choi Enterprises, you had done so with perfect posture and a professional vocabulary. You acted a lot older than your age, which was why Soobin thought that question was so goddamn absurd.

You didn't even fidget, all to your credit. You didn't shrink once under the stares of the interview panel, plus Soobin. He was just there to observe and learn, but he was given permission beforehand to step in if he felt any desire to. "Pardon?"

The man who had posed the question was one of Soobin's least favorite people here. Along with a balding head, he had a balding personality. Balding of what? Balding of humanity. He elaborated, "You've only just graduated from high school, you have yet to even begin a college degree. Do you not believe that you could learn and experience a little more?"

You cleared your throat. "With all due respect, sir, the hiring page said that this was an entry level job."

Yeah, Soobin thought to himself, that's what they always say. You must have been surprised by the extensive hiring process for said "entry level job." He really needed to have a talk with the people in Hiring and Recruitment; he picked up the pen tucked behind his ear to note it down in his little notebook to remind himself later.

"And yet, we also prefaced the description with a college degree requirement," added another member. Soobin begrudgingly admitted that that was true.

"I don't believe a college degree is particularly necessary for secretarial work, especially when most of the duties will be taught to me on site."

That is also true, he thought. Professional, calm… blank. You'd fit in great here.

"It would be difficult for partners and businesses to take a girl like you seriously—"

Soobin leaned forward and sent a look down toward the idiot who decided to open his mouth again. He sounded like he had a stick up his ass; Soobin wouldn't be surprised if he did. His posture said otherwise, but his attitude? Jesus fucking Christ. He cut in, "Excuse me."

As his father had told him time and time again: Sometimes you have to do things yourself.

The room shifted its attention to him. He poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, his hand raised slightly with his pen, gesturing vaguely. "Your age is not really the main concern, Miss Ln. Not for me, at least." Your eyes had narrowed slightly on him, and he straightened in his chair. "The concern is that, while your résumé and references are good, your experience is lacking. This would be your first corporate job and we're looking for someone who could reliably carry out what we have outlined their duties to be."

That was how it should have been worded. That was how his father would have worded it.

"Then based off my references, Mr. Choi, would it not be safe to say that I am a reliable person?" It was definitely safe to say that you knew your way around words and requirements. There was a defiance about you that he couldn't deny, something rare that prodded at the back of his mind. It told him that if he didn't snatch you up now, someone else would.

When the interview ended, Soobin tucked the pen behind his ear once more. It was customary for interviewers to wait until the interviewee had left the room before they could leave, as well. They would think over their notes tonight before coming to a decision on all of the candidates tomorrow morning.

That feeling pricked at the back of Soobin's mind as he stood from his seat and hustled over to the elevator. He went down to the lobby, where he spotted you just pushing out the main glass doors.

"Miss Ln!"

Your head perked up at the sound of your name being shouted over the hustle and bustle of the Gotham City streets. Strands of your hair, windswept under the forever-overcast sky, blew across your face and you reached up to brush them out of your eyesight as you marked the young Choi heir making his way over to you. He was tall—perhaps around six foot or taller—with a crisp suit and that blue ballpoint pen behind one ear. The dark circles rimming his dark eyes were charming like his black bangs swept up by the breeze.

You didn't know what to say to him, really, but here you were—stopping and awaiting his thoughts. Soobin was grateful you did. There was something irking him about you, something he couldn't put his finger on. Anyone else would have stopped him, begged him for the position. He was younger, impressionable, a Choi.

You waited.

"I just wanted to say," he said, nodding, "good luck." He choked out the words, not because they tasted bitter on his tongue, but because he hadn't even known why he had chased you down in the first place.

Your eyes glanced at him up and down, but you were nodding back at him. You suddenly looked so uncomfortable in that formal wear. "Thank you."

Soobin heard the distant cries of his name from down the street—aw fuck. Just as he ducked back into the building, you had disappeared into the crowd. He hoped he might see you again.

[1 year later.]

"H-he has a young woman in ther—"

"Sick," twenty-one-year-old Choi Yeonjun said, patting the man on the head. The bank teller quivered like a leaf in the wind in the presence of Gotham's Red Hood. "Thanks, man."

As Yeonjun stepped over the fallen bodies of his victims—they didn't even deserve the label of "victim" when they had been the ones robbing this joint—he replaced the cartridge of his pistols. They were twins, pearl handles with just a touch of gold that he loved to twirl around in his hands. His father always rolled his old man eyes when he showboated, but Yeonjun never thought of it as showboating, rather an art. There were moments where he preferred the heft and damage of an AK-47, but his babies were always there for him, too.

He adjusted the crimson mask seated securely over his entire face; the metal was warm with his breathing, but he had gotten used to the suffocating feeling.

His old man would murder him if his face was seen while he was "serving justice" or whatever.

It was a shame that this last dude had taken a hostage though. That meant traumatized victim, a much more careful shot needed, and a whole lot of—

"Fuck you!"

He stopped clean at the threshold of the main vault at the back of the Gotham Bank (yes, the so-called "joint") as he watched the young woman in question, you, twist your captor's arm behind his back and pin him to the ground beneath the sole of your three-inch heel. He had gone red in the face, him and his bald ass head.

What a view. Yeonjun whistled lowly before he could stop himself.

Both heads looked up to watch him walk in. He caught the way your shoulders tensed at the sight of him, and he opened three of his fingers in each hand and showed his palms like his own way of raising his hands. "Hey, darlin', we're on the same side."

Your hair fell in disarray around your head and face, and your mascara had smudged around your eyes, but it didn't discount the sharp narrowing of them. "What took you so long? Aren't you supposed to be the hero or something?"

"Okay, first of all, I'm not a hero—" he blinked and sent a bullet through the robber's upper thigh. You shrieked, leaping away from him and Yeonjun, who suspected that you now thought of him as a maniac. Good. "—I'm just the dude who's trying to serve justice or something."

Yeonjun holstered his two baby pistols into the holsters on either side of his belt. "And second, that was—"

The sharp cry of sirens pierced the air, and he could hear the caws of incoming cops and their thundering footsteps heading right toward his and your location. Yeonjun swore under his breath, his instincts kicking in.

"Well, that's my cue to leave." He whirled on his heel and saluted you. "See ya!"

He ducked into the shadows of the hallway just outside the vault, and waited for the police to run past him with their blaring walkie talkies. They would find you in the carnage, no gun in sight, but with a wounded bad guy at your feet and a bullet hole in his thigh.

Yeonjun's head thumped back against the wall; he bit his lip beneath the mask. Fuck it, you were gonna be fine.

He had thought that, and yet, here he now sat, lounging in the passenger seat of your car in the alleyway by the bank, biding his time. His mask and dark brown leather jacket laid discarded at his booted feet, his aching arms given breathing room through his white muscle tee. He stretched out the kinks in his neck, hand running through his damp, black hair.

He was waiting.

Literally waited an hour and a half. Or maybe it was just half an hour. Sue him, he was hungry.

Finally, you rounded the corner to the symphony of your car unlocking. It gave a delightfully loud chirp and it knocked the drowsiness right out of his brain. Thank god there was still some light out or else you might have screamed. Instead, you stopped right outside your car, in front of the windshield with your eyes wide. (Actually, you didn't feel like the "scream in fright" type. It was more like "inhale sharply.")

Yeonjun didn't know what he was doing, to be honest. Then again, he never knew what he was doing. He smiled lazily at you and gave a small wave.

You must have had some kind of death wish, because you approached the car with him still in it, and he hadn't even introduced himself yet. Or maybe, he didn't have to introduce himself.

Your eyes narrowed again for the second time he had seen you. Was that your tell? Your thing?

Carefully, you tugged the driver's door open, but remained behind it and did not get in with him. Smart girl. "What the hell do you want and how the fuck did you get in here?"

"You kiss your mama with that mouth, darlin’?" He teased before he could stop himself. What could he say? He was a "shoot first, ask questions later" type of guy. His father hated that about him.

"Why are you in my car?"

He shook his head and let out a noise akin to feigned exasperation. "Just tryin' to make sure they didn't give you shit."

"I didn't see you in the bank, Choi Yeonjun."

Bingo. He smiled. "I like to be noticed when I wanna be noticed."

Your head cocked to the side. "I guess I believe you." You gestured to him vaguely with a lazy hand. "D'you mind?"

He sat up in the passenger seat and gestured his hand back toward you and the driver's seat. Maybe if his smile had widened, your eye would have twitched. There was something so amusing about him gradually frustrating you. "No, not at all."

Your pretty eyes rolled; he laughed.

"Okay, okay. Got the message." He briefly raised his hands in mock surrender, then leaned down to collect his red mask in the fabric of his brown leather jacket. He hadn't even bothered to remove or hide his pearl-handled pistols from his side holsters as he removed himself from your car.

A smirk flickered to his lips—out of your sight, of course—when he heard you sputter, "Wait—"

"Later, darlin'!" And then he was gone, out of your sight, as if he had been only a shadow from your memory.

You wondered if this day could get even weirder or even worse than it already was.

Exhaustion coursed through your veins as you slipped into the driver's seat and pulled out onto the main street. First, it was the strange email you'd received about a problem with your bank account. Then, it was whatever that interaction was. Choi Yeonjun as the Red Hood? Or perhaps only covering for one of the city’s resident vigilantes? But then, for what reason? If not for all of the trouble, you would have been home already; your joints loosened at the thought of coming home to your mom, pets, and something warm for dinner.

Brain muddied like a Gotham gutter during the wet season, the last thing that you wanted to worry about right now was how a Choi heir was connected to a vigilante.

When you arrived on your street, you pulled into the alley beside your complex and pushed back out into the grainy, Gotham evening.

Your head cocked to the side at the sound of loud meowing. As you approached the door, you could hear scratching from the other side.

Strange. Your cats usually knew to not scratch the doors anymore, and why wasn't your mom getting them to stop?

With a reprimand on your lips, you pushed your way in. “Guys, who is…”

A scream was left caught in your throat.

You felt yourself stumble forward into your home, the floorboards patterned in bloody paw prints, multicolored fur swarming your legs and meowing at you in distress.

Out—had they been trying to get out?

“Mom?” Your voice sounded strangled. “Mama?”

Bile crawled up your throat and your palm slammed against the side wall to keep yourself upright. You couldn’t get your eyes off of your mother’s taut and ashen skin, lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling, a bullet hole through her temple. Blood seeped into the floorboards to stain the wood beneath her limp body, and you were choking, hacking at the metal filling up your lungs.

You stumbled toward her body and blood oozed into the material of your pants as you knelt by her body to feel for her pulse.

Dead. Deaddeaddeaddead.

Your hands stained with your mother’s crimson life force stained your hands and trembled as you searched your body for your phone. You—what were—what was the number? Who did this? This couldn’t be real.

Blood rushed into your ears; you couldn’t hear the sirens, couldn’t hear the voice on the other end of the phone.

Your mind had gone blank, mouth dry, and you sat down on the ground next to your mother’s body, your tears slipping down the slopes of your cheeks to land on her own face.

Dead, how could she be dead? How was this real?

A mass of fur appeared in the corners of your vision and you followed their gaze back toward the front door. And for a chilling moment, you were stone-cold sober. There was a note staked into the doorframe: A Debt Repaid.

a/n: pls remember to comment and reblog!

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[thenixkat]

Decided to look up the comics that Scarab (lady assassin) firs showed up

also Tim Drake had parents, that were around for a while b4 they got killed off. Apparently, he was hiding the superhero thing from them

Bruce beating Tim's ass in training

and high expectations

apparently, Bruce is upset with Tim for killing someone huh

wow. nice parenting. Maybe Tim needs some therapy for having killed someone instead of his ass beaten and held to very strict expectations

ah yes fire the child sidekick when they're going through it

so batman is a bad parent

i doubt bruce is a good boss at wayne tech if he's like this when an employee disappoints him by going through shit

and Tim's gonna get it when he gets home from lying to his parents

damn Drake parents

just the downsides of not telling yer parents shit

of course the guy that tim thinks he killed is still alive and plotting

what the fuck is up with the ladies in the Batfam being down with hurting their partners?

if Tim wants to retire? let him? just cause you'd rather be on the field doesnt mean he's not going through it believing he killed a man

Tim has to stay a hero, even though his heart isnt in it rn which could lead to him getting hurt or killed or failing to save the day, b/c he saved the day and helped people and most people dont have the temperament or skill to be superheroes

Mr. Drake found Tim's stache

Mr. Drake pulled up at Bruce's house

apparently, they used to be neighbors, the Drakes fell on some hard times i guess

Alfred dont try to gaslight this man when youve been helping endanger his child

Mr. Drake is not having that shit. Good on him for being pissed off at the adults who's been endangering his child

wow, Mr. Drake decided to pull up on Bruce with a gun for endangering his child. Good on him. Gods below, imagine if that's how Batman died? The parent of one of his child sidekicks decides to take him to task on the child endangerment.

haha! Pull the trigger Mr. Drake! End Batman's miserable fucking life!

damnit Mr. Drake you waited too long to pull the trigger

man imagine if Bruce ever had like lasting consequences for the child endangerment that just fucking takes him out/he has to actively deal with it instead of brooding and moving on. Like clearly the dead child as of this comic wasnt enough

also yeah, makes sense that Batman would have a bad rep with common people. His costume is intent to scare and he frequently maims and cripples people

expose his ass mr. Drake!

Bruce really goes out his way to put in insults talking to this kid

someone is grounded

Tim you are literally a child and Bruce is the adult, it doesnt matter if you volunteered Batman had no right to take you up on the offer. Given the minor without parental permission

Bruce that is not a fucking excuse for child endangerment. You could literally go out and get an adult to be yer sidekick or replacement…only adults arent as moldable and controllable as kids huh?

also Bruce, its not a good look to yell at the child who's not yours that you've been endangering infront of his parent

Bruce can't even hold back his shitty parenting to look less awful infront of Mr. Drake

the war

the war against… crime is that fucking serious

Mr. Drake you should still expose Batman b/c fuck him. And also demand Batman offer some fucking compensation for all this

yeah that makes sense. Mr. Drake should still demand payment for all the fucking child labor

[aloneatpeace]

𝙰𝙿𝙾𝙲𝙰𝙻𝚈𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳

FINAL ESCAPE '9'

.→✒️:★: ͜͡✿͜͡ →. Major character death . Sorry guys for the plot .

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

When the sun was setting the time for banishing you and Theo also arrived the Gladers who survived the night gathered around the front of the maze with mixed feelings.

While one group thinks it’s the way it should that they deserved to be punished the other half questions the morals on this verdict.  no one knows if it’s right or wrong, no one questions it. taehyung and jungkook drag you towards the front of the maze while hoseok who hurls Theo,“sorry” they both whisper before letting you fall on the ground with a thud jimin grimace at that.

They back away moving towards yoongi who hands them machetes  

Gally walks towards your fallen figure “this is such waste” he mutters

“Gally” Winston calls uneasiness settling in his stomach

“It doesn’t fell right, man”

“Yeah, what if she was right?” jeff asks “maybe he can lead us home.”

“We are home.” Gally state walking towards them “okey, I don’t wanna have to cross any more names off the wall.”

“You really think banishing us is gonna solve anything?” Theo sass.

Gally turns to him “No, but this isn’t a banishing, it’s an offering” he states simply for brief second, he looks away knowing what he going to do is wrong but, in his eyes, it is the only choice and solution he has. 

“Gally? What are you doing?”

“You really think I’m gonna let her back into the maze after what she has done? Look around you! look at our glade. This is the only way and when the grievers get what they came here for everything goes back to the way it was.”

While gally is barking around yoongi and hoseok share knowing glance taehyung subtlety touches yoongi nodding towards seokjin who coming with bags and spears they gathered for their escape.

“Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there? He’s crazy!”

“You just shut up”

“If you stay here the grievers are going to come back. They’re gonna come back, and they’re gonna keep coming back until you all dead!” Theo exclaims

“Shut up! Tie them up” gally commands turning to walk away Taehyung draw out his machete pointing towards gally.

You stand up as seokjin calls your name throwing you and hoseok and spears Theo a machete he walks towards you. yoongi sighs walking towards you calmly soon taehyung follow still machete pointing at gally with glare daring him to make a move that could get him hurt.

“You’re full of surprise, aren’t you?”

 “You don’t have to come with us, but we are leaving. Anyone else who wants to come, now it’s your last chance.” You glance at the Gladers with worry if they they’re going to die.

“Don’t listen to her, she is trying to scare us” gally said to the Gladers.

You shake your head “No, I’m not trying to scare you. you’re already scared. I’m scared.” You admit truthfully making gally turn “But I rather risk my life out there than spending the rest of it in here. We don’t belong here. This place isn’t our home. We were put in here. We were trapped in here. At least out there we have a choice. We can make it out of here I know that”

One by one some of the Gladers walks for wad with you jeff, Winston, frypan, jack, Tim and Billy.

“Gally, it’s over. Just come with us.” You plead

“Good luck against the grievers” 

Yoongi grabs your hand taking you turn to him nodding everyone run inside the maze hoseok leading them with you and yoongi behind, you run past the blades and make to the way where the sector is, and find yourself in the front with hoseok.

And press yourself against wall when you see a griever up ahead nodding towards hoseok he gestures everyone to be quiet.

“There is griever down there”

Hoseok takes off his bag and giving to jimin “You take this, don’t lose it”

“I won’t” jimin whisper back before turning towards you “now come, hold my hand” you raise your brow at the request.

Jin slaps his head slightly “not the time”

“Guys please, once this activates the door will open. We stay close and we stick together we get through this. We get out now or we die trying” you firmly state looking at everyone.

“that’s hot” jimin whisper you glance at a smile threating to come out.

“You ready” they nod taking their weapons “all right. Let’s go!”

With a yell you all run towards the griever spears pointed machete ready to cut the griever turns towards you letting out an ugly snarl. The griever is pushed to side, and from the side of the bridge more grievers start to come. 

 Jimin and Taehyung who in charge of opening door, “There are code eight numbers!” jimin yells

“Hoseok! Tell them the sequence!” you scream all while stabbing the grievers

“What?”

“The section of the maze what’s the sequence?”

“Seven!”

“One!”

“Five!”

“Two!”

“Six!”

“Four!”

“Heads up!” yoongi yells seeing one griever coming from up everyone move back you pull Hoseok out of the way barely missing the griever.

“EVERYONE TO THE DOOR” you yell hastily everyone get inside the hole spears pointing towards the creatures.

“Hoseok the rest!” taehyung and jimin yells

“Eight! Three! You got it”

Jimin press the numbers the word complete shows on the screen “DONE” the door open and the walls starts come down on the grievers killing some of them one of the walls crush the griever Infront of you.

Everyone sighs in relief thankfully no one was killed or injured the hole close suddenly leaving everyone in darkness.

Jimin who was leaning against the door falls with shrink “I’m okey, I’m fine” he stands up

Taehyung motion everyone to come stepping inside, a long hallway is the what you see the lights starts lit up one by one illuminating the path.

You and the boys lead the way and come Infront of the door that had the word exit written on.

Cautiously you open the door grimacing when you see man in lab coat laying down few feet away with blood on the walls.

The place looked wrecked smoke and beeping of alarms you guys enter into a room a tech room sort of there also dead bodies there is glass windows smashed.

Everyone scatters to look around yoongi, hoseok and jin move towards the systems that has the live footage of the glade from every angle “So she was right, they were watching us”

Jimin, jungkook and taehyung stayed with you, it felt so similar to what you saw feeling eyes on watching you glance up to see Theo gaze at you from other side.

Sighing you push the blinking finger print. The screen in Infront power up a lady in white coat sitting. You know her she is the woman you saw; everyone gathers to watch the footage.

“Hello, my name is doctor ava Paige, I’m the director of operations of the world catastrophe Killzone department. If you’re watching this, that means you have successfully completed the maze trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you but circumstance seem to have prevented it. I’m sure by now, you must all be very confused angry frightened I can only assure you, that everything that’s happened to you everything we’ve done to you it was all done for a reason. You won’t remember but the sun has scorched our world.  Billions of lives lost to fire famine suffering on global scale the fallout was unimaginable. What came after was worse. We called it the flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain. it is violent. Unpredictable incurable or so we thought. In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus suddenly there was a reason to hope for a cure. But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed inside harsh environments where their brain activity could be studied all in effort to understand what makes them different what makes you different. You may not realize it but you are very important. Unfortunately, your trials have only just begun, as you will no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow, people are scared. It may be too late for up. For me but not for you the outside world awaits remember wicked is good.”

The footage needs with the woman, Ava Paige shooting herself making everyone startled. Having enough you walk away, it’s not that fact she killed herself what disturbed you what the hell did she mean my it’s not over that it’s just beginning.

A hand touches your back making you flinch yoongi retrieve his hands giving you worried glance, looking up you see everyone eyes on you.

“You alright?” jin asks

You nod “yeah, we… we need to get out of here.” as soon as the word leave your mouth a door opens.

“Is it over?’ jungkook asks looking at the door with anticipation.

“She said we were important. What are we supposed to do now” taehyung’s confused voice question.

“There is something wrong with her words” yoongi state

 “let’s get out of here.” Hoseok said

“no” a voice behind you disagrees. There gally stands with a gun in his hands.

“Gally?”

“Don’t” Theo stops you by grabbing on to your shoulder “he’s been stung” 

Everyone watches gally warily as he sniffs tears running down on his face “We can’t leave”

“We did. Gally, we’re out. We’re free” you softly said eyes shifting between the gun and him stepping Infront of the them you promised Namjoon that you would get them out and you would do that even if you’re scared to, the boy’s frown as you do.

“Free? You think we free out there? No. there’s no escape from this place” he lifts the gun pointing at you.

Your heart beat out your chest “gally listen to me. You’re not thinking straight. You’re not” your voice tremble “now we can help you, just put down the gun”

“I belong to the maze”

“Just put down the gun” you repeated panic evident in your voice.

  “We all do” three things happen at the same time.

Gally pulled the trigger.

Hoseok throws a spear at gally.

Jungkook push you out the way.

Gally gasped as the spear stabbed through his chest gasping, he falls on his knees, you look around checking if anyone had hurt then finally to jungkook frowning when he staggers on his feet blinking.

“Jungkook, hey” you grab on to his shoulder turning to you he smiles at you before falling on to you quickly grabbing on to him, you let him lay on you. the crimson stain on his shirt makes your eye swell up with tears.

Jimin and taehyung eyes widen crouching next to you hurriedly, yoongi freeze where he stands unable to move jin screams in terror hoseok slowly kneel towards you.

You shake your head quickly stripping your shirt off you press it down on his wound “Hey, look at me! It’s fine just don’t close your eyes. Look at me.” You lightly slap on his cheeks all while pushing the cloth down firmly your eyes caught jimin “Jimin, jimin! What we do what…” he shakes his head sobbing “Hey, hey…look at me please don’t close your eyes” the tears now freely fall.

 jungkook grunt a small smile on his face even though he is in pain “you’re beautiful…I’m sorry I never told you” He wasn’t able to save Namjoon but he had chance to save you and he took it he doesn’t think he regrate that even when he could feel his blood leaving his body.

you shake your head “just stay awake okey, save your breath”

 “It’s okey…...thank you…” he exhales his hands finds your cheeks before it goes limp.

“No…No…. please wake up…. talk to me…jungkook…jungkook” your pleas were not heard. A wail leaves your mouth echoing around the room the sound of your wailing and the boys cry echoes the room.

It’s your fault isn’t it. jungkook is killed because he tried to say you, Namjoon died because of you. not just them half of the Gladers died because of, because of what you did you helped the wicked to put them in the maze you are the part of reason why they suffered three years in the maze, being studied experimented torched.

The sound of the door opening alert them they call out your name, the guards run in taking the boys yoongi put up no fights he let the guard take them.

“We have her” as he passes by, he hears the words but was too dazed to understand the words

Two guards pull you away making you thrash around them crawling back towards jungkook you wrap your arms around his body screaming. They forcefully grab you by arms and drag you away.

“JUNGKOOK”

“JUNGKOOK”

“Please take him, he needs help”

The drag you out the building, the harsh sunlight makes your eyes sting refocusing you see mountains of sands everywhere around you.

They guide you into a helicopter the others were also huddled up in there, jin who sitting close sees your glossy exhausted face. He gives you his hands take it you sit beside him, making yourself small “I’m sorry…. I’m sorry” you whisper heaving.

Jin shakes his head wrapping his hands around you, he pushes your head to his chest “it’s not your fault…it’s alright…we’re going to be alright” your hands find around his waist tucking your face on his chest firmly.

One of the guards come in getting inside “you guys all right?” he asks looking around the boys his eyes lingering on you who still safely tucked in jin’s arms not bothering to glance up and acknowledge the man.

The boys suspiciously look at the guard “don’t worry. You’re safe now” the helicopter rise in the air the boys expect jin look out the windows seeing the maze is surrounded with the wicked building.

The boys sigh thankful that they except the maze all expect one boy. 

The people around the table stands up when the sound of the heels reaches their ears, Ava Paige walks in scrubbing the blood on her forehead away “Well, I think it’s safe to say the maze trials were a complete success. I wasn’t expecting so many survivors, but the more the merrier. Y/n continue to surprise and impress and for now, they seem to have taken the bait. It’s too soon to say but they could be the key to everything. So, let’s move forward. It’s time now we begin phase two.”

THE MAZE TRIALS FINAL REPORT

WICKED IS GOOD

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@cerulean1riz

[happyk44]

Stayed up until 3:30 envisioning my daughter of Zeus OC from childhood that I crafted into an original original character having a nervous breakdown because the sky is loveless and law is loveless and order is loveless and at some point the love she has in her heart won't be enough

"the ocean is a possessive bastard that never wants you to leave, and the earth loves you so much it provides so you can live, and the dead are coated in love from grief, and homes are where love first sprouted, the warmth of the fire, and what is the core of family and marriage if not the love between people, but the sky?

the sky doesn't love you. you jump and it doesn't catch you, it will watch you plummet to the ground. the higher up you go, the harder it is to breathe. the sky does not want you, it does not love you. and the law does not love you. it doesn't care about you, who you are, how you are, the why's behind the rule you broke. it will structure itself how it sees fit, based on its own feelings of what is and isn't correct, and it will throw you away for the slightest infraction. it will kill you for not acting the way it demands.

and I am the daughter of the sky, I am the daughter of law. at some point love won't be enough to stop me from executing every person who so much as breathes wrong. my love is superficial. it is not authentic, it is not genuine, it is a thin, thin blanket covering my cold empty heart and I will not get to the point where it is ripped away! I will not be my mother, and I will not be my father! I REFUSE!

so please just let me die"

Naturally I tried to figure out how to sculpt this into a Jason monologue because who gives a shit about OCs, esp ones they've never heard of, lol, but it was 3:30 and I needed to sleep, and I was like meh it's not possibly for jaybird anyway, he's got that wolf in him

But Jason has also been continuously abandoned by every family he's ever had - his mom, the wolves, camp jupiter when they didn't go looking for him, leo and piper, probably more and so on, and I HC to be suicidal and actively self-harm himself

and you know what, I think it would be neat if everyone was like "Jason, you don't have time for friends, you need to learn to be a leader, you need to focus on training, blah blah blah" and he's desperate to see if he can have both and somehow someway he summons dead siblings to ask advice from or maybe he prays for advice and receives a dream from my stressed out baby girl who's basically like "I had so much love in my heart, it was slowly killing me every single day because my rules were small and stupid but they mattered so fucking much and people broke them all the tim and the intense need I felt to hurt them as punishment for their wrongdoings made me want to kill myself and the only reason I couldn't is because my friends kept catching me. don't befriend a child of Pluto or Mors, they're annoyingly adept and weirdly stubborn about you dying when they don't want you to"

ofc Jason is desperate. He wants people, he wants community. But she just shakes her head. "you're the oldest child of Jupiter here. You're the only child of Jupiter here. You have no choice. I was the youngest of my siblings. If I were in line to be praetor, if I were in line to be charge of my cohort, I would've tried so much harder to die because love and leadership are incompatible for us. Maybe it works out for other people, but not for us.

Abandon your affections, Jason. Crave friendship but never seek it out. It will hurt you less when it comes time to discipline those who break the rules. You are a tornado waiting to happen, you are a lightning storm. Your discipline will not be gentle and it will not be light. Do you want to be feared by those you love?"

and he shakes his head, wishing he was a softer person, one who shocked rather than electrocuted, one who didn't bear their teeth, and played with the breeze instead of manifesting gale.

"then love no one. because the fear will come no matter what, but love? that's what you have to work for. and it has no place with us"

[orbleglorb]

wip weds for tma/blb au

Every now and then, Nagomi got a "problem spirit" down in the Hellmouth. A "problem spirit" is much like a "problem child." The problem is not the spirit itself, but the spirit's circumstances and environment. If you can change that (or, when working with the dead, help them come to peace with it), the problem gets better. If the problem gets better, then Nagomi can do her job as psychopomp and the spirit will pass on.

Sasha was different, because Nagomi couldn't figure out what Sasha's problem was.

Usually, the problem was straightforward: carry out someone's dying wish, exact revenge, tell a loved one what happened to them, etc. And the ghost will make sure you know, too. Maybe they get confused every now and then, especially soon after death, but ghosts weren't normally always lost and confused. Ghosts usually weren't trapped in their final moments for months on end.

Nagomi found Sasha where she normally was: sat against the wall of eyes, with her legs drawn up to her chest and staring out into the distance. She'd never be able to find Sasha if she wasn't dressed in almost all yellow. Especially because the dark warped stone the eyes rested in was only a few shades of brown away from her skin tone. The eyes seemed to finally be losing their interest in her, all of them swiveling around or watching Nagomi as she entered. Nagomi tried to ignore them.

Nagomi stood in front of Sasha and poked her with the stick end of their scythe. "Hey, Sasha?"

Sasha didn't move. Didn't respond in any way. If she wasn't already dead, Nagomi would be checking for a pulse.

Let's keep going, Nagomi, Passenger said. 

Nagomi shook their head. No, we've been avoiding her for most of the week now. We need to talk to her at some point. Maybe she's gotten better.

When Sasha still didn't move, Nagomi kneeled down and shook her shoulder gently. "Sasha? You with me?"

It's common for ghosts, especially new ones, to have an impermanent form, switching between how they looked normally and how they looked when they died. Nagomi almost threw up every time Sasha reverted back to when she died. One minute, she was a whole person, then Nagomi blinked and her skin was halfway peeled off her body and a few maggots had found a home in her exposed muscles.

Nagomi flinched and looked away, shaking the feeling of exposed muscle off of her hand. Passenger reached out and grabbed a worm that made a home in Sasha's gore and flicked it away. It being a part of a ghostly visage, it faded out of existence before it hit the ground.

One more time. Then let's go, Passenger said.

Nagomi nodded.

"Sasha–"

"Jon?"

Nagomi looked back at Sasha, brow furrowed in confusion. "Jon" was new. And Sasha was whole again, looking a little past Nagomi with unfocused eyes. She desperately grabbed at Nagomi's hand.

"Jon, it's okay, Elias is–" 

"Sasha, I'm not Jon," Nagomi said. "I'm Nagomi. Remember?"

Sasha tilted her head. "No, where's Jon? I need to warn him and the others–"

"They're safe," Nagomi said. She hoped that was true.

"Where are they?"

"Um… at… home?"

Gomi, stop talking, Passenger hissed. 

"Well, do you have a better idea?" Nagomi bristled.

Sasha wasn't phased. She didn't even seem to have heard. 

"Jon, the CO2, it's going to– we need to get out before–"

"Sasha," Nagomi said gently, holding Sasha's hands, "You're safe. Everyone's safe. You're not in danger anymore. You're here, with me, in the He– um, in Utah. Oh, you're British, that's still worrying– Look, okay–"

"Is Tim okay?" Sasha asked. She probably hadn't even heard any of that.

"Yes."

Tim was one of the two names that repeated. Tim and Elias. All Sasha ever wanted to know was if Tim was okay and if Elias had manually activated the fire system yet. And every time, Nagomi said yes, and every time, it didn't change anything. She had never gotten a last name for Elias, but Sasha had mentioned Tim's last name exactly once. Stoker. That day, Nagomi didn't even wait until getting home before searching online for him. There weren't many folks with that name. The most recently alive person named Tim Stoker had died a few years ago. Stroke, according to his brother's Facebook post eulogizing him. (Nagomi was so desperate to get Sasha to move on, she fucking downloaded Facebook and made a profile to stalk people with.)

"Sasha, how did– how do you and Tim know each other?"

Sasha furrowed her brow slightly, still looking past Nagomi. "We met working in Research. Same place we met you." 

Maybe it's worth a shot pretending to be Jon, Passenger suggested.

"...Yeah, maybe…" Nagomi started, before realizing…

Sasha wasn't looking past Nagomi.

She was looking at Passenger.

"Passenger, do you… see her staring?" Nagomi asked.

Passenger's eyes all turned to focus on Sasha. Not the first time that's happened.

"No, no, she's not afraid. Just. Pretend to be Jon."

What?

"Just go with it. Humor me."

Passenger was silent for a few moments, but Nagomi could feel it buzzing. Sasha's gaze was getting more and more distant, and her form less corporeal.

"Passenger, please, we're losing her," Nagomi whispered.

Passenger cleared its throat. "Um. Hello! Sasha?"

Sasha looked back at Passenger, and, for once, looked fully lucid.

"Jon!" She exclaimed. "I got stuck in Artefact Storage. Did Elias get the fire system yet?"

"Um. Yes." Passenger rasped.

Sasha relaxed. "And it's killed the worms? And Prentiss?"

"Y…Yes… they are all gone now." 

Gomi, this doesn't feel right.

Keep going, Nagomi urged. I need all the information I can get. She won't remember, anyway.

Passenger cleared its throat again. "I. Uh. I'm afraid I forgot who Prentiss is! Could you remind me? All this… r… ruckus… has affected my memory."

"Did you hit your head?" Sasha asked, grabbing Nagomi and Passenger's head and examining it."We've been investigating her forever! Well, not forever, but, with Martin living here, it sure feels like– oh, yes, she attacked Martin, remember? Had him holed up in his flat for days. He has to sleep in the Archives now. Well, not anymore, since Prentiss is dead. The CO2 killed her by itself?"

"Yes…?" Passenger said, shaking Sasha's touch away. "Can you tell me how Prentiss attacked Martin?"

"Same way she attacked us, except… less. Tried to infest him with her worms, and when he escaped, she stalked his apartment. Kept trying to push worms through. He gave you a statement about it, it'll be in the box of tape recorded ones. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

"I'll go to the doctor later today. Um. Thanks. Are… are you okay?"

"Oh, tired as hell, but alright. No worms, I've checked. Maybe I should check again, though… oh, hey, I saw something in that table while in Artefact Storage! The creepy one."

"Ah. Yes. The creepy table. That we all know so well. What did you see?"

Sasha's face scrunched up in thought. "A… person, I think? I can't remember it very well. I… can't focus on it. Every time I try to remember what they looked like, my mind just… slips off of them."

"And. Er. Could you remind me what this creepy table looks like?"

"The really ornate one you're always talking about being hypnotic, remember? We just got it earlier this summer. Might've been this month, actually. It's in a few statements, I think. Do you want me to describe it again, for this recording?"

"Yes. Uh, if you don't mind?"

Nagomi pulled her phone out and began typing all of this information in her notes app.

Sasha sighed. "Alright. It's a large, dark, wooden table with an optical illusion carved into the top. There's a piece cut out of it where a box is supposed to go. I mean, I suppose a box is supposed to go there. It's too clean of a cut to not be carved out for a purpose, and it's cube-shaped. It was in… ugh, which statement was it? I know it was in the one with the lady whose neighbor was supposedly replaced by a doppelgänger. The table belonged to the man who was replaced. I could have sworn it was in another one, but maybe not…"

"That's alright. Thank you," Passenger said.

Gomi, do we need anything else?

Nagomi stared at the notes in her phone. 

Her last name.

"And, for the record, could you, um, state your full name for me?"

"Oh, right," Sasha laughed. "Statement of Sasha James, about the worm takeover in the Archives. Recorded direct from subject, 29th July, 2016," she said in a funny voice, like she was humoring someone, or poking fun at them. "Wait, is it still the 29th?"

"Y… Yes. Yes it is. Um. Long day."

"Two-thousand sixteen? Did I hear that right?" Nagomi whispered.

Yes. Sasha must have died a long, long time ago.

"Need anything else before I head home?" Sasha asked.

Passenger cleared its throat. "No. No, you're, uh, free to go home. Thanks."

"Don't mention it. See you tomorrow, I guess," Sasha laughed bitterly.

Sasha stood and walked through Nagomi– a feeling she never got used to– and went deeper into the Hellmouth. With every step, she gradually disappeared, until she was gone.

I didn't think that would work, Passenger said. 

Nagomi barely noticed that it had said anything. She was busy studying the wall of eyes, which was quite busy studying her back.

"...She thought you, an amorphous mass of black covered in eyes, was someone she knew. And she always hangs around the wall of eyes. Doesn't that seem like a weird coincidence to you?"

Certainly, but it's not uncommon for ghosts to want to be witnessed.

"No, it's not just… I don't know. I can't explain it."

Maybe you can after you sleep.

Nagomi sighed. "Yeah. Good point."